I mean if there are going to be missiles that are going off and there are going to be going off over Canadian airspace whether we want it or not, no I don't think that is acceptable. I think that we want to be at the table.

— Paul Martin

There are nations that resist, voices that attempt to diminish the urgency or dismiss the science, or declare, either in word or indifference, that this is not our problem to solve. Well, let me tell you, it is our problem to solve ... To the reticent nations, including the United States, I say this: There is such a thing as a global conscience.

— Paul Martin

Since one never knows what will be the line of advance, it is always most rash to condemn what is not quite in the fashion of the moment.

— Paul Martin

The main goal in any criminal statute is to produce what's best for the victim. And sometimes, a mandatory minimum doesn't accomplish that.